Position Grades

Quarterback

Needed to sign: ?Signed: 0

Did OU need to sign a QB this year? The answer became less clear as the season ended and Lincoln Riley was hired as the offensive coordinator and QBs coach.

Top-flight QBs verbal early and, barring some big coaching change, usually don’t flip. OU went into 2015 not choosing a QB to recruit It’s just hard to change course. Based on how 2014 ended and Trevor Knight’s near retirement, OU should have signed a QB to add more competition.

With the change over to Lincoln Riley, it’s probably best to start with a clean slate and maybe use 2 slots for QBs in 2016.

Quality Grade: INCQuantity Grade: F

Running Back

Needed to sign: ?Signed: 1

You could make the argument that with the reinstatement of Joe Mixon, even after the transfer of David Smith to Illinois, OU could have skipped RB this class. However, when the No. 1 all-purpose back in the country by one service wants to be a Sooner, you take the kid.

Rodney Anderson had an awesome year with nearly 2,500 yards rushing and an average of nearly 10 yards per carry, and he wasn’ t playing weak competition. Anderson kept up such big game performances throughout the playoffs.

OU may have signed the best RB in Texas for the third year in a row. If you want a comparison on his skill set, how about a bigger Demond Parker with receiving skills? Anderson could easily flex out to a slot WR from a two-back look.

-Who got away? The only real question will be did OU take the right back in Anderson over Sosa Jamabo, who also badly wanted to be a Sooner.

Quality Grade: AQuantity Grade: A

Wide Receiver

Needed to sign: 2Signed: 2

There was no more disappointing group on campus last season than the WR corps minus Sterling Shepard. Save for some flashes from Michiah Quick, no one showed any big play potential with Shepard out. And in the change of OC, and WR became more of a need.

OU added pure speed in John Humphrey and added arguably the best JUCO speed receiver in the nation in Dede Westbrook. Both are on campus and should be a factor this fall. Humphrey and/or Westbrook also should retire Shepard from punt return duties, a spot where he just wasn’t working.

Beyond the transfer of Dannon Cavil, Mark Andrews moving to TE and the departure of Derrick Woods, I think you might see additional attrition after spring at the position group, so reloading at WR was a very good idea.

OU's late rally at WR was created by the recruiting work of Lincoln Riley since OU’s new receivers coach was not on board. He targeted several different WRs, including Van Jefferson and Carlos Strickland. After missing both of those targets, Riley made late offers to A.D. Miller, who had decommitted from Illinois, and Dahu Green, who was committed to Washington State. During the final recruiting weekend, both players visited OU and verbally committed within 24 hours of their visits.

Miller is more of a lanky speed guy. Kind of reminds me of a bigger, faster Juaquin Iglesias. He had a huge senior year with nearly 1,200 yards. Dahu Green was going to be the in-state WR OU would've regretted not offering. He’s got a huge frame and excellent hands. He’s always high-pointing the ball and makes catching look effortless. His best one-handed catch even made SportsCenter Top Ten plays.

Two speed WRs, two bigger WRs – it’s a nice mix of skills.

-Who got away? DaMarkus Lodge. Best WR in Texas has that Dez Bryant kind of physical dominance at WR. Despite starring at OU’s camp, the Sooners were never able to get involved.

Quality Grade B+Quantity Grade A

Tight End

Needed to sign: 1Signed: 1

It was was a bad year in the region and nationally for TEs in terms of the number of elite kids. Texas had only one in the top 10, who had committed to Texas A&M before signing day of 2014. Arkansas had TE prospects, but the Razorbacks quickly got verbals from those players.

OU got creative by offering McAlester QB/TE Dalton Wood. Wood tore up 4A football in Oklahoma as a power-running QB in the mold of Blake Bell and former Kansas State QB Collin Klein. Wood is every bit of 6-5, 245 pounds. He showed excellent speed and quickness in high school.

Wood is the textbook example of the best athlete playing QB who finds another position in college. OU thinks he can be a TE, but he could easily end up at OLB or DE as well.

-Who got away? Really, no one obvious. If he plays TE at Arkansas, Austin Cantrell from Oklahoma looks like he will be a player.

Quality Grade: BQuantity Grade: A

Offensive Line

Needed to sign: 5Signed: 5

OU’s OL recruiting from 2011 to 2013 left the roster weak in terms of numbers of underclassman. Last year’s five-player class helped greatly. OU needed to follow that with another five-recruit class, ideally with a mid-term juco transfer to help immediately. Once again for Coach Bill Bedenbaugh, mission accomplished.

OL recruiting under Bedenbaugh is currently operating at the best level ever under Bob Stoops in terms of talent acquisition, quality and consistency. That starts with a top-five JUCO OL in Jamal Danley, who is on campus and should slide into the guard slot next to Ty Darlington/Nila Kasitati.

The star of the high school group is Bobby Evans. If he can recover from his ACL injury, he could be the next great Sooner left tackle. Think Tyrion Smith. He’s that athletic.

On the opposite side, OU grabbed a prototype right tackle from California in Dru Samia.

Bedenbaugh flipped Cody Ford from TCU, who might be the most physical guard signed since Davin Joseph. Ford could find himself in the two-deep this fall.

The final OL piece is Dominique Hearne. He has a huge frame that could project at guard or center in the range of 315 pounds.

-Who got away? Josh Wariboko verbaled to OU, de-committed, then led fans on a nine-month dance before settling on UCLA on NSD.

Quality Grade: AQuantity Grade: A

Defensive Line

Needed to sign: 3Signed: 4

Defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery followed up a good class in 2014 with a great class in 2015.

The star of the entire class could be Neville Gallimore, a massive DE/DT from Canada. As a junior at 6-3, 265, Gallimore was playing OLB and chasing down WRs and RBs. He’s now a 6-3, 300-pound DL with insane speed, quickness and power. Gallimore could be the Gerald McCoy of this class, the difference-making DL. He should play DE in OU’s true 3-4 base, but then he could slide inside to play DT/NG on passing downs. If OU switched to a 4-3 look, then Gallimore could move inside. Monty beat FSU and Ohio State for Gallimore's services.

The first DL commitment was NG Marquis Overton out of Jenks. Overton has some academic to do, but Jenks usually gets its athletes eligible. Overton, who is also a very good heavyweight wrestler, is a perfect fit for the NG spot in the 3-4 defense.

The DE spots in the 3-4 should be manned in the future by Kenneth Mann and Gabriel Campbell. Campbell is an absolute steal from SEC land. He looks almost thin at 6-6, 250. He will be 6-6, 280 very quickly. He's almost a prototype 3-4 DE. Mann is badly under-ranked by most of the services; his senior year footage is excellent. Mann, like Campbell, will end up being a 6-5, 280 DE. It’s a great class, providing depth and talent.

-Who got away? Du’vonta Lampkin. Former OU verbal who nearly flipped back to OU from UT. His senior year film was a significant upgrade over his junior year footage.

Quality Grade: A-Quantity Grade: A

Linebacker

Needed to sign: 4Signed: 2

LB recruiting is the biggest topic on every Sooner recruiting message board. OU has undersigned at LB tin he last 3 classes, and that’s already hurting the Sooners at ILB, where there’s limited talent and competition. It might be the weakest position on the whole roster.

If OU does not make a change at LB coach, then Bob Stoops has a serious explanation to offer in terms of recruiting strategy at LB. Kish and OU offer the top 20 LBs in the nation and slowly the kids verbal elsewhere, leaving OU either scrambling to find players and/or short players in their recruiting class.

This year, at least, OU landed two of its top 20 targets at LB. After Gallimore, Ricky DeBerry is probably the next biggest defensive star of the class. DeBerry chose OU over Alabama, A&M and a host of others. DeBerry could be the OLB that turns OU's 3-4 D into an elite defense. Deberry can stop the run on the edge and provide the edge pass rusher needed for this scheme. OU needs defensive playmakers, and DeBerry fits that category. He is probably athletic enough to try ILB if OU needs that. Montogomery played a huge role in landing DeBerry.

The other LB verbal happened late in the processy. Arthur McGinnis visited on the last available weekend after rescheduling with OU several times. McGinnis committed two days before signing day, giving OU a badly needed LB prospect. McGinnis is an amazing athlete at 6-3, 230, with laser-timed combine speed in the 4.5 range. OU will try him at ILB first, but he could easily be an OLB as well.

Both LBs are the bigger, more physical athletes OU needs to really run an effective, attacking 3-4 that can flex to stopping the run and pass. They are the kind of LBs Ohio State just used to beat Bama’s pro-style attack and Oregon’ s vaunted spread offense.

-Who got away? OU spent almost 12 months tied with UT for Anthony Wheeler and lost a close battle. OU appeared to be in line for a visit from Vanderbilt signee Josh Smith, but something blew up that whole opportunity at the last minute. OU also wasted a lot of time recruiting LBs who were never coming like John Houston and Malik Jefferson. The whole process of recruiting at LB is broken.

Quality Grade: A-Quantity Grade: D

Defensive Back

Needed to sign: 4Signed: 6

No position had a worse 2014 season for OU than the secondary. All the pass defense improvements from 2013 disappeared, with the OU secondary getting rocked time and again. Injuries and players in the wrong positions led for a very ineffective unit. New coaching is on the way with Kerry Cooks from Notre Dame taking over. Cooks will be in charge of developing the best DB class in a long time to enroll in Norman.

P.J. Mbanasor is a pure press-coverage CB. He dominated every high school receiver who played against him. He was wavering at one point in his recruitment, and the entire Big 12 was poised to recruit him again. OU was able to lock him down. At this point, Mbanasor has a chance to start opposite Zach Sanchez at CB.

Will Sunderland is also a strong possibility to log minutes this fall. It could be an all-Oklahoma duo with Steven Parker and Sunderland at safety. At 6-3, 200, Sunderland could outgrow safety. Ohio State was calling Sunderland in late January to visit Columbus and bail on OU.

OU was after Kahlil Haughton from the very beginning of recruiting. Along with Sunderland, he was among OU’s first safety offers. How Haughton is not a top 150-type ranking is beyond me. His footage is awesome in coverage and in run support. Again, there’s a good chance you will see Haughton log minutes this fall, providing depth at nickelback or maybe even in dime formations. OU beat LSU and Baylor for his signature.

If you had any doubts that a mid-term juco CB could help OU, then the image of a one-armed Julian Wilson trying to cover Oklahoma State's WRs should end that debate. Will Johnson was a late pickup right before the mid-term deadline and could provide depth at CB or NB.

If PJ Mbanasor was so well known that teams stopped challenging him, then Antoine Stephens had the opposite effect. Stephens had a huge senior year with 9 interceptions after moving to DB from WR his senior year. Stephens has elite size and speed for a CB, and OU locked him down before his recruiting was set to blow up.

OU seemed set at five DBs until the Sooners invited Prentice McKinney to visit during the last weekend in recruiting. OU had offered McKinney very early in the process, but he had selected ND. McKinney switched over to North Carolina. Like Haughton and Sutherland, McKinney is a big-framed kid with great range in coverage who also provides some pop in run support.

OU could realistically play all three freshman safeties this fall.

-Who got away? The Sooners couldn't get any of the talented California DBs that they offered on campus for a visit. No one name stands out, but OU spent a lot of effort for limited returns.

Quality Grade: AQuantity Grade: A

Special Teams

Austin Siebert is the No. 1 kicker/punter combo in the nation, according to kicking guru Jamie Kohl. OU special teams coach Jay Boulware calls Siebert the best overall kicker he has ever signed, and that includes All-Pro kicker Cody Parkey of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Siebert may be the most important signee in the whole class.

Overall Thoughts

The talent and depth in this class are very good. Last year was a larger class, so it was closer to a top 10 finish, whereas this year OU is going to be ranked about 14th or 15th. OU ranked 8th in average stars per player by Rivals, so the class possesses talent across the board.

The DL, OL and DB classes are as good as OU has signed in the last five years. Hopefully, the new DB coach makes the same kind of impact in development that OU has seen from Monty and Bedenbaugh.

The two LB recruits have big potential, but the nagging concern about numbers is very hard to let go.

Finally, OU’s biggest problem in 2014 on the field was at the QB position. The Sooners signed zero players to compete in 2015 or the future. Trevor Knight’s injury woes and an offensive scheme change makes the current QB group pretty unstable.